Several local high school students gave impressive individual performances at the Mississippi High School Activities Association 2024 powerlifting state championship meet held April 5 and 6 in Jackson.
The students spent hours deadlifting, squat powerlifting and bench pressing their way into capturing top finishes in their respective weight divisions at the meet, which took place at the Mississippi Coliseum.
In the girls competition, Southeast Lauderdale High School’s AnnLee Haney won her second state championship after placing first in the Girls Class 3A 198-pound weight class for the second year in a row.
Haney lifted 820 total pounds (deadlift, squat and bench press) for the meet, up from 765 pounds last year. She earned her title with a 365-pound squat, a 120-pound bench press and a 335-pound deadlift.
Southeast High School teammate Angelicia Stephens placed second in the 165-pound weight class, lifting 630 total pounds. Meanwhile, Meridian High School’s Charlise Payne placed third in the Girls 7A 114-pound weight class, lifting 590 total pounds in the three categories.
In the boys competition, Meridian High’s Dane Hill shined in the 198-pound weight class in 7A boys, finishing in first place to capture the state title.
In lifting 1,540 total pounds for the meet, Hill had a 605-pound squat, a 315-pound bench press and a 620-pound deadlift.
Hill’s Meridian High teammate, Ethan Wright, finished second in the 148-pound weight class, lifting a total 1,185 pounds.
Southeast High School’s Gerod Holiday finished first in the Boys 3A 181-pound weight class to earn a state championship medal.
Holliday lifted 1,240 total pounds for the meet including a 460-pound squat, a 255-pound bench press and a 525-pound deadlift.
His Southeast teammate, QuinDarius Hill, captured second place in the 165-pound weight class, lifting a total 1,280 pounds. Anthony Nguyen, a Southeast sophomore, finished in third place in the Class 114 weight division, lifting 800 total pounds for the competition.
Northeast Lauderdale High School’s C.J. Bourrage captured a second place finish in the Boys 4A 181-pound weight class, lifting 1,380 total pounds in the three categories.